Greyhound Lab Mix [what is a Greyador?]

The Greyhound Labrador mix, also known as the “Greyador,” combines the Lab’s friendly personality and the Greyhound’s elegant looks. This hybrid dog is becoming a popular family pet. Initially, the product of random encounters, the Greyhound Lab mix is now a designer breed crossing a purebred Labrador with a purebred Greyhound. The Greyador is a medium to large-sized dog.

Keep reading to learn more about the amazing Greyador dog!

What is a Greyador?

A Greyador is a mixed breed dog combining a Greyhound and a Labrador Retriever.

Like any mixed breed, the Grayador can have any aspect of either of its parent breeds, which can affect appearance, size, temperament, and health.

Before jumping into more details about the Greyhound Lab mix let’s briefly cover the history of the Greyhound and Labrador Retriever. This will give you a good understanding of what makes up this unique dog.

Greyhound History

The Greyhound is an ancient breed of dog and is part of the sighthound breed group. Some say the Greyhound dates back 8,000 years and they were revered as Gods in ancient Egypt.

Only royalty was allowed to own them. Greyhounds appear in Greek and Roman mythology and were also written about by famous writers Shakespeare and Chaucer around the Renaissance time period.

Greyhounds are by far the fastest breed of dog and can reach speeds that exceed 40mph at short distances.

There were race tracks specifically for Greyhound races. At one point, centuries ago, hunters used greyhounds to help them spot small animals and chase them down at high speeds.

Labrador Retriever History

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in America. Its earliest origins are found in the Canadian province of Newfoundland.

The Labrador Retriever is mostly known for its love for water and its special ability to operate in water.

They worked in Newfoundland’s burgeoning fisheries, hauling nets and long lines and diving for cod.

Grayhound Lab Mix Characteristics

What Does a Greyhound Lab Mix Look Like?

Like any other hybrid breed dog, there is no standard for what the Greyador will look like because it will take on characteristics from either parent breed.

The best way to even make a prediction of what the dog will look like is by looking at the two parents.

The Greyhound Labrador mix will often have the face of a greyhound and long ears that reach to their jawline.

**What Does a Greyhound Lab Mix Look Like?**

Their eyes will likely be very dark and they will have a long neck with a slender, muscular body. Their teeth will also be clear cut with a strong jaw.

Their tail will often vary being either narrow or wide, but it will often spike up and become straight when your dog gets excited.

The color of your Greyador’s coat will vary depending on genetic dominance. Sometimes it will be a solid color, sometimes it won’t. Either way, it will be short, although density can vary.

Greyhound Lab Mix Size

Male Greyhounds usually weigh between 60-75 pounds. Females weigh 60-65 pounds. Male Labrador Retrievers weigh 60-80 pounds and females weigh 55-70 pounds.

Although the size can vary based on genetics, you can expect your full-grown male Greyador to weigh between 60-80 pounds or female 55-75 pounds.

How Big is a Greyadore?

Labs weigh more than Greyhounds but the Greyhound is usually taller. An adult male Greyhound can be 30 inches in height, whereas the tallest Lab is usually under 25 inches tall.

For your Lab Greyhound mix dog, you can expect them to be between 21-27 inches in height.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Coat Type

You may wonder about the possible Greyador coat types and how much shedding to expect.

Labrador Coat

Labs have a double coat with a short, heavy topcoat and a soft, thick undercoat. Their undercoat will shed in warm weather.

Since the Lab’s double coat makes it a more seasonal shedder, they require more grooming than your average dog.

Greyhound Coat

On the other hand, Greyhounds have a smooth, short coat. The Greyhound’s coat is typically low maintenance and sheds as often as your average dog.

Does a Greyhound Lab Mix Shed?

You can easily expect your Greyador to shed frequently because they often inherit the Labrador’s double coat.

Greyhound Lab Mix Colors

The Lab has three officially recognized colors: black, yellow, and chocolate. The Greyhound has a variety of colors and markings, usually being white with colored markings.

Greyhound Lab mixed dogs can either be solid colored or partly colored.

Greyador colors include:

Silver
Blue
Gray
Brown
Black
Red
Fawn

If you look up the Greyador online, you may notice many pictures of black dogs. This is because mixing with a Black Lab and a Greyhound is one of the most popular combinations.

The Greyador can have many different colors and markings.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Temperament

Similar to how the Greyador’s appearance can vary, their temperament will vary as well. They will have some traits of both parent breeds.

The training and treatment of your dog will have more of an effect on their behavior than the genetics of the dog.

The greyhound and the lab both have very different personalities. While the greyhound is usually quiet, reserved, and sensitive, the lab can be pretty outgoing and active.

The personality of each type of dog is usually based upon what they were bred to do. Overall, you can expect a friendly, gentle dog if properly trained.

However, you may not know if they are the type of dog that likes to play fetch until the dog is fully grown. Some of your dog’s traits you will not know until they fully develop.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Instincts

One important thing to be aware of with the Greyador is that the Greyhound naturally has a strong prey drive.

They were bred to hunt small animals using their sight and speed. Their high prey drive should be tested especially before being introduced to a new home with other small animals.

On the other hand, Labs are part of the Sporting breed dogs.

Greyhound Lab mix dogs could have a combination of the Lab’s liveliness and the Greyhound’s calm nature, although there is also a chance that they have one extreme trait on either side.

Generally, you can expect a friendly, non-aggressive dog, especially if they receive the proper training at a young age.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Socialization

It is important to socialize your Greyador puppy while they are still young because of their natural instincts.

From when they are a puppy until they are about sixteen weeks old, you want to introduce your dog to as many new things as possible so that they can socialize with it.

This means you should introduce them to anything they will interact with such as people, places, vehicles, and other animals.

For the puppies, there is an emphasis on letting your dog socialize with young children and animals. Socializing at a young age can help reduce fear and aggression in all dog breeds.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Exercise Requirments

Since both the Lab and Greyhound are intelligent, athletic dogs and both have a history of being sporting and working dogs, your Greyador will earnestly benefit from plenty of exercise.

They will need to run around, even off the leash, which requires them to have a safe space to run, given their natural prey instincts.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Training

It is important to train them at a young age in order to help them somewhat overcome their natural instincts.

Training will offer them a bit of exercise as well as provide mental stimulation. If your Greyador inherits its parent Greyhound’s short attention span, training can be rough.

Labrador Retrievers enjoy working cooperatively with people and are also highly motivated by food. This means that positive reinforcement training may be beneficial to your Greyador puppy.

However, the Greyhound tends not to be as mentally prepared for training as the Lab and they are less motivated by food.

They are also more likely to get bored or distracted during training, so playing games with them can be very helpful.

Training Tip

Something that new dog owners often find helpful is formal training classes for your puppy, such as puppy kindergarten.

This will help your puppy learn things from an early age without you having to figure out everything on your own.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Health Issues

Mixed breed dogs, on average, tend to live longer than purebred dogs, partially because they are less likely to develop genetic recessive diseases.

The Greyador can inherit illnesses from their parent breeds that are important for Greyador owners to know about.

Here are some of the most common health issues that could affect your Greyador:

Hip and elbow dysplasia
Heart disease
Centronuclear myopathy (muscle weakness)
Progressive retinal atrophy (eye disease)
Exercise-induced collapse
Cold-water or limber tail (limp tail)
Tricuspid valve dysplasia (malformed heart)
Arthritis
Skin allergies
Obesity
Multiple blood disorders
Greyhound polyneuropathy (muscle weakness)
Superficial keratitis (eye disease)
Osteosarcoma (bone cancer)
Hypothyroidism
Pemphigus (autoimmune disease affecting the feet and nails)
Increased sensitivity to anesthesia, especially barbiturates

Although it is not certain that they will develop any of these genetic health issues, it is possible and you should always expect the best, prepare for the worst.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Care

Since the Greyador is highly prone to tartar buildup, they need their teeth brushed regularly – a minimum of three times a week. It is recommended that they get their teeth brushed daily.

For help learning how to brush your dog’s teeth can contact your local vet.

It is important that you check your dog’s ears for pests and debris every day as well. Clean them as recommended by your vet.

It is also important that you trim their nails before they get too long. They should not be clicking against the floor when they walk.

If you notice your dog dragging their bottom on the floor, this may mean they need their anal glands expressed.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Lifespan

You can expect your healthy Greyador to live between 9-13 years.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Diet Requirements

The Greyador is a medium-sized dog and will respond well to food made for small or large dogs.

Their dry food should consist of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Glucosamine, and meat for strong bones and muscles. These ingredients will help to prevent complications from Hip Dysplasia.

Greyadors tend to overeat which could cause obesity and other long-term health issues. It’s important that you monitor your dog’s calorie intake for each meal.

How Often Should You Feed Your Greyador?

Always consult your vet first to get their recommendations.

It is better to feed them a few small meals throughout the day rather than one big meal in order to prevent bloating.

It’s also good to establish a feeding pattern for your Greyador. This will help to prevent overfeeding your dog.

It’s best to consult a vet to determine the nutritional needs of your Greyador according to their weight, size, and age. This includes the correct types of vitamins and minerals to feed your pup.

Do Greyadors Make Good Pets?

Greyadors are friendly, loving dogs with all their family members, including young children.

However, do keep in mind the risk of it harming smaller pets due to their prey instincts.

I don’t recommend bringing a Greyador into a house with small animals like cats or rabbits. A Greyador can be introduced to new pets though as long as precautions are taken.

Labs and Greyhounds were bred for specific things and it’s important that they have an outlet to express themselves.

A happy dog is also less likely to engage in bad behavior, which is also rewarding for the owner!

Rescue a Lab Greyhound Mix

It is possible to adopt a Greyador from an animal shelter or rescue organization, however, it is hard for shelters to identify mixed breeds.

It is possible to find a Greyhound Lab Mix dog at your local shelter! Always adopt when you can.

There are many rescue groups around the country and you can always contact them to let them know you are specifically looking for a Lab Greyhound mixed breed dog.

It’s also possible to find a Greyador that has been surrendered to an animal shelter. Most animal shelter websites allow you to search for a dog by breed.

They do their best to identify mixed breed dogs and you can always get genetic testing done just to be sure.

Finding a Lab Greyhound Mix Puppy

The Greyhound lab mix puppy is not as common to come across as some other Lab mixes such as the Labradoodle. Patience is key when you’re looking for a Greyador puppy.

Fortunately, reputable breeders are concerned over the overall health of the dogs they work with and would not purposefully sell any puppy with a serious medical condition.

Getting a dog is a huge, long-term commitment, so be sure your dog is as healthy as possible to start.

One key thing to keep in mind is that the result of crossbreeding is never completely guaranteed.

You can expect a beautiful mix of a Lab and Greyhound combined into a medium-sized dog with elegant colors and patterns.

Greyhound Labrador Mix Breeders

If you’re interested in getting a Greyador from a breeder, there are a few things to keep in mind as you’re doing your search.

You have to be cautious when doing your research because the Greyador is not your normal dog breed! Large-scale, for-profit breeding operations should be avoided.

How to Find a Greyador Breeder

This is a great question as Greyhound Lab mix breeders are not always easy to find. We suggest taking the following steps to find a Greyador for your very own.

Contact your local animal shelter. Ask them if they have any Greyhound Lab mixed breed dogs for adoption. If they don’t you can ask if they know anyone who can help you.
Call Greyhound or Labrador breeders and ask if they happen to breed Greyadors or if they can refer you to someone who does.
Search the internet. While this make takes some time and effort I guarantee you will find a Greyador breeder.
Contact the Greyhound Club of America. No, they may not be totally enthusiastic about you asking for Greyador breeders they may be a great information resource!
Contact The Labrador Retriever Club. Their website even has a breeders directory section. Yes, these are Labrador breeders on the list but some may also breed Greyadors or know of other breeders who do.

Since both Greyhounds and Labs are prone to many notable health conditions, finding a reputable breeder who is willing to share health information with you is important.

Remember that an inexpensive dog bought unseen could cost you more in vet expenses than a more expensive dog from a known breeder.

It’s good to find a local breeder who allows you to see how the dog was raised. You may even have the option to meet the puppy’s parents which is highly recommended.

Conclusion

Overall, from a Lab Greyhound mix, you can expect a friendly, intelligent, fun dog. Before getting your dog, it’s important to know the basics of tending and caring for dogs.

Remember that Greyador dogs can inherit physical traits from either or both parents, including health problems. Take proper measures in order for you to have a happy, healthy pup.

Dog lovers are quickly finding the idea of a greyhound lab mix to be an intriguing hybrid breed dog.

They tend to be a great family dog because they are fun, friendly, and affectionate sweet dogs. All you really need is a big, fenced yard in order to let them run and play.

Patience is key, but without a doubt, you will quickly fall in love with your Greyador and become best friends!